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Google's Music Beta gives users two invites, keys to the cloud for their best mates
We probably all know at least one person who is bummed they missed out on the initial round of invites for Music Beta by Google. Well friends, you can be the bearer of good news for those troubled souls (who haven't moved on to other online music pursuits, of course), as we discovered through a fellow music enthusiast. Members of the cloud-based service are now the proud owners of two invites handed down from the Goog, to be passed out only through a thorough application and interview process. Ok, not really... but perhaps you do have the power to make two of your friends, or soon-to-be friends, pretty happy. That is, until they realize how long it will take them to upload that music library they've been curating since 8th grade. [Thanks, Ralph]
Spotify teams up with Chevy to announce invites, not integration
Still waiting for that Spotify invite? If you're hip on getting some Chevy Sonic-colored spam, you can snag another ticket in the invitation raffle: the carmaker recently declared itself Spotify's "exclusive automotive advertising partner." What's this mean to you? Chevrolet is doling out Spotify invites to the first 150,000 folks to request info about the upcoming Chevy Sonic. The automotive firm goes on to toot its own horn, bragging that the mere mention of its automobiles in countless country and rock songs qualify it for the partnership. Could this be the start of a beautiful, music streaming, friendship? We certainly wouldn't scoff at a generation of Spotify-enabled Chevys. Hit the break for the official press release, and conjure up some conjecture of your own.
Google+ users can now send email invites, brag about being into the service before it was cool
Google's exclusive little club just got a little less exclusive. As promised, the search giant's shiny new social network Google+ has opened up, giving users the ability to invite friends via email. (If it's not working on your system yet, trying logging out and then logging back in.) Existing users, it's time to start building out those Circles to avoid the sort of accidental social networking shenanigans Google is working so hard to curb. Everyone else, we're sure you'll be getting one in your Gmail inbox soon enough. In the meantime, how about prepping yourself by reading our detailed hands-on? Update: Looks like they've been shut down again. It was fun while it lasted! [Thanks, Ryan]
Sprint teams up with Motorola for June 9 event, finally launching a Tegra 2 device?
Sprint and Motorola have a little special something up their sleeves, and are rolling them up to show off their latest "collaborations" at a press luncheon on June 9th. Since big bosses CEO Dan Hesse and Sanjay Jha will be in attendance, and the event will be held during Apple's WWDC, we have a feeling this is going to be something big. Whatever this project is, it's been kept under the radar very well -- until now. We're hearing buzz about a Tegra 2-powered device planned for a launch next month; different reports have come out over the last few days claiming Sprint will finally take a turn sporting a Tegra 2 Android -- the yin to the EVO 3D's yang, we suppose -- sometime next month. The device may be called the Motorola Photon 4G, a name that first appeared in a WiFi certification form (seen after the break) a month ago. According to the rumors, Sprint was ready to launch its own version of the Atrix 4G back in March, but stalled the phone's release in order to make a few design changes. Some of these changes supposedly include a 4.3-inch display, Gingerbread pre-installed, and a look that closely resembles the EVO 4G (it would even come with a kickstand). The Photon 4G is a probability for the event, but note that the invite mentions "collaborations," implying there will be more than one product to showcase. This could mean a Xoom with WiMAX is just about ready for primetime -- or perhaps it's something else magical and unexpected. No matter what's hiding in Hesse's pocket on June 9th, we'll be there to tell you all about it.
Google Music Beta invites start rock 'n rolling out
Been on pins and needles since Google unveiled its long awaited Music Beta service at I/O? Good news: it seems that the non-Xoom owners among us are finally getting a crack at the thing. We've received reports from numerous tipsters that El Goog has finally started delivering invites to those who signed up through the site, letting even more users upload 20,000 of their favorite jams to its cloud-based storage locker. If you're one of the lucky ones, please sound off in the comments below -- and if not, be sure to read our hands-on review of the service while you wait. [Thanks everyone who sent this in]
Music Beta invites now flying to Xoom owners, Google's server farms seen weeping in the distance
After 5000 music-lovin' I/O attendees warmed up Google's servers, it appears that the company has now finished its presumed installation of four zillion exabytes of new hard drive capacity. We're exaggerating, obviously, but probably not by much -- we've received a flood of tips today (as well as an invite amongst ourselves) noting that Music Beta is finally being opened up to Earthlings in the "real world." Specifically, Motorola Xoom owners. In case you've forgotten, that entitles you to free (for now) access to a cloud storage locker where 20,000 of your hits can be saved and streamed. Curious to know if it's worth the time to upload? Have a peek at our in-depth preview right here, and be sure to let us know if your invitation has come through in comments below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Microsoft's next major release of Windows Phone will be previewed on May 24th, and we'll be there live!
Been jonesing for more news about Microsoft's upcoming Mango OS update? So have we, and now all of us, VIPs and commoners alike, can circle the 24th of May as the date when Redmond will dish the full details of its next major software release. Notably, the mango(ish)-colored invite makes no mention of Windows Phone 7 anywhere, leading us to suspect that Microsoft will likely upgrade its mobile nomenclature as well as feature set. We'll be there whatever happens, liveblogging the full preview event and keeping an eye out for launch details for this fruity new OS.
HP planning Veer launch party for May 2nd, AT&T brings cake for webOS 3.0 devs
We still don't have a solid release date for HP's tiny Veer -- we've been told it's "coming around the corner" and will be here "soon" -- but if we were the guessing type, we'd say that the pint-sized webOS 2.2 smartphone will hit the market on or about the 2nd of May. That's because a PreCentral reader stumbled across what looks like an official invitation to an "HP Veer Launch Party Event" in Los Angeles on that very date, and it's typically fairly difficult to launch a handset without a handset to launch, if you know what we mean. Still, this looks like a business-to-business event, so we wouldn't circle your calendar quite yet -- but if you've already got that red marker out, you might want to put a X over May 12th instead. That's the day that AT&T is hosting a webOS 3.0 developer webcast -- which might be worth attending in and of itself -- but is particularly noteworthy given that HP hasn't announced carriers for the Veer or SIM-slot packing HP TouchPad just yet. [Thanks, Brian L.]
HTC invites us to 'see what's next' on April 12th
Would you look at what dropped in our inbox this morning? Good old HTC is cooking up a little somethin' somethin' for an April 12th launch in London town, for an event kicking off at 1.30PM BST or 8.30AM EST. While consulting our solar calendars, we noticed that's when Microsoft's MIX 2011 developer gathering is also getting started, but we're sure it's just a coincidence and HTC isn't about to spring a battery of new Windows Phone 7 devices on us. In fact, if you stare at the invite's image long enough, you might just convince yourself you're looking at a bulging smartphone screen, which could indicate we're talking about the EVO 3D's European launch. You never know with these things. Whatever happens, we'd advise circling the date and making sure your popcorn supplies aren't running low.
Apple's announcement timing is uncanny
Tony Bradley at Macworld points out something interesting that I've also been thinking about: Apple is being awfully sneaky with its timing when it comes to product announcements. The upcoming March 2 event happens to land not only right around the time that Motorola's much-anticipated Xoom tablet will hit consumers' hands, but also right in the middle of next week's Game Developers Conference, when quite a few developers will be announcing new games for both the iPad and Android tablet platforms. The timing seems more than coincidental, especially with all of the announcements we've seen today. And this isn't the only recent Apple announcement apparently targeted at shaking things up: The Mac App Store's launch date was set for January 6, right as this year's CES was underway in Las Vegas, and much of that show's sidetalk was taken up by rumors of the Verizon iPhone, which was announced a few days later on the 11th. You could argue that this is just good business, and you'd be right -- with its keynote events, Apple is the uncontested leader in product messaging for tech, and timing is a big part of that. If Apple is going to announce an iPad 2, why wouldn't it be right when everyone's focused on tablet software? (Not to mention that the event is being held at Yerba Buena, right next door to the convention center). But at the same time, it's quite a coup, hijacking the attention of press and developers without any official involvement in the event they're there to attend.
Zaprudering the Invite: Anything to see?
Whatever you might think of Apple's grammar, there's not much this invitation's artwork is giving away. Of course, we all want to know: is there a camera up there? If so, we're not seeing evidence of it in the top-middle of the graphic. Perhaps there is a left-mounted camera hidden by March 2, or perhaps there is no camera to be seen at all, which will disappoint FaceTime chatters everywhere. Or perhaps Apple is simply being a tease ... as usual. The volume toggle and mute switch appear unchanged, and I suppose it's nice to know that the virtual iPad has been fully charged before being incorporated into the invitation. The numeric battery charge meter is, however, out of action in this shot, which lends a certain falsity to the image. The iPad appears to be sporting the iPhone 4 default wallpaper. Could that mean anything? Nah. Probably not. Can you guess what technology or innovation will help define 2011 through the iPad? We're still scratching our head and making guesses here in TUAW-land. Our own Kelly G. rolled her eyes at the language. While it's not TUAW's place to smack down Apple for a badly constructed sentence, we're more than happy to turn over pedant duties to our commenters. How would you have phrased your invitation? Let us know!
HP calls us out, implies it's got even better scoops at February webOS event
Look, let's be real: our Palm tablet scoop today was awesome. For its part, though, HP wants to remind us all that it's got other news in the pipe for its event early next month, going so far as to tease invitees that they haven't seen the latest on Engadget. Not to say that we won't be trying very, very hard to ensure that our readers do see the latest right here... but point taken, HP. See you in a couple weeks.
Sprint promises 'industry first' at February 7th event
Let's just end the speculation right here: a Sprint-locked CDMA iPhone on the heels of Verizon's wouldn't be much of an "industry first," so we're thinking that whatever the company has to unveil on the evening of February 7th in New York will be of a very different flavor. The event invite goes on to say that they'll show "that the impossible is possible," which could very well mean the Epic 4G is getting Froyo. Burn! Also look for guest David Blaine to hold his breath in a tank of things that bite for 45 minutes or so, which will make for an awesome liveblog (yes, we'll be there).
Sony giving away Killzone 3 beta keys on Twitter
If you're jonesing for entry keys into the Killzone 3 beta, but don't feel like ponying up for the PlayStation Plus membership required to be eligible for early access, Sony's offering social networking mavens another, thriftier opportunity. If you're all up on that Twitter, you can be eligible for one of 150 beta codes by Tweeting "@killzonedotcom Please include me in the Killzone 3 beta! My PSN ID is [your PSN ID] #killzone3 #scea http://ow.ly/2Vfcf." (If you live in Europe, replace #scea with #scee. Jurisdictions, and all that jazz.) The codes will be distributed by October 22, but if you don't manage to snag one from Sony, we'll have some a bit later this week. Keep an eye on our Twitter feed, and also our Facebook page, and you should also probably listen to our podcast, and, now that we think about it, you should probably just follow us around on the street.
Steve Ballmer and AT&T's Ralph de la Vega to headline Windows Phone 7 launch event in NYC on October 11 -- we'll be there live!
Horror, shock, surprise! Microsoft CEO and prime fanboy of all things Windows and developer-related, Steve Ballmer, will be the keynote speaker at Microsoft's New York launch event for Windows Phone 7. He'll be joined on stage by AT&T's Ralph de la Vega and when the pep rally is over, we're promised opportunities to finally handle the official incarnations of retail Windows Phones for ourselves. We know all this because Microsoft has just dropped a kind little invite into our inbox urging us to attend its October 11 get-together. We will, of course, be there live, but don't forget Microsoft's also holding a London event on that day, ostensibly for the same reason, so make sure to be up nice and early next Monday if you don't wanna miss a thing. As we reported last night, the company is also holding a gathering centered around T-Mobile WP7 handsets, though details are more scarce on that event. We saw an official invite from the folks in Redmond, but it looks like that showing may be smaller in scale. We have to imagine that AT&T and their GSM competition don't want to share the stage, but as this is a Microsoft launch, anything is possible. Regardless, if there are multiple carriers showing hardware come October 11th, we'll have all the goods.
A study of 17 Apple press invitations
Reporting for Fortune, Philip Elmer-DeWitt reiterates Dan Frommer's question: "Is Apple really going to announce a TV gadget at an event with a guitar on the invitation?" It's a legitimate question, as Apple's press events have the power to move AAPL's price. When rumors become expectations that ultimately aren't met, the stock price has shifted downward. In this case, the "TV gadget" Frommer refers to is the rumored iOS-powered Apple TV. With that in mind, AAPLinvestors compared the wording on the last 17 press invitations to what was ultimately introduced at each event. What they found was that Apple often takes liberty with their often cryptic text. For example, the September 2, 2008 invitation read "Let's Rock," and Apple introduced the fourth-gen iPod nano, the second-gen iPod touch, iTunes 8 and HD TV shows. HD TV is cool, but does it really "rock?" Also, the August 31, 2009 invitation read "It's only rock and roll but we like it." That afternoon Apple introduced iTunes 9, iPhone 3.1, the fifth-gen nano, the third-generation iPod touch and additional colors for the iPod Shuffle. Reading into Apple's terse press invites is part of the fun. So we still might see a new Apple TV next week. Who knows if we will, though. [Via MacDailyNews and Fortune]
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm press beta invites going out
The wave of Cataclysm class changes being announced this week seems to be a harbinger of things to come -- it appears we'll be skipping the normal semi-public Friends & Family Alpha phase completely and moving right on to open beta! Blizzard PR has sent out several pre-invites to members of the media for the Cataclysm beta. These are confirmed not to be phishing emails -- they're definitely the real deal. In the pre-invite email, Blizzard says that they're gearing up for the Cataclysm beta, and that a Battle.net account is required to participate. Members of the press with a BNet account who received the email can then sign up for the invite pool. What we don't know: when it's happening. Press registration for the beta is open until April 15th, but Blizzard specifically states that they have no start date ready to announce. We'll keep you updated with more information, including the beta launch date and any new info that comes out of the beta, as soon as it becomes available. Right now, if you are not a member of the press and get one of these, it is likely a scam. Practice safe browsing. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.
Project Natal 'experience' to premiere at E3 on June 13th
No big surprise here, but Microsoft is bringing its full Project Natal setup to the E3 games show in LA this year, with a "world premiere" event on Sunday, June 13th, followed by a media briefing on Monday the 14th. It's good to know they're on track for showing this off, after a no-show at the PlayStation Move-dominated GDC, and we'll of course be there in force, waving our arms around like we just don't care. From the looks of our invite, which puts the name "Project Natal" in quotes, we're not convinced that's even the final name for the device, but we suppose we'll find out for sure in June. Microsoft promises this will be our "first look at the future of fun," and we imagine some near-final hardware and beta game experiences will be on display as well. No word in the invite, but we imagine a Fall launch is still in the cards, with Jonathan Ross's "October" tweet as the most recent morsel on that front.
All Points Bulletin beta kicks off
It's been a while since beta sign-ups opened late last year, but All Points Bulletin is finally moving into closed beta, it would seem. Several people are receiving emails welcoming them into Realtime Worlds' persistent online world that's a cross between GTA and the ultimate set of customization tools for characters, cars and music seen, well, probably ever. Between video podcasts, interviews here on Massively and plenty of wishful thinking, it's been a considerably long wait. Our best guess is that the initial wave of invites is a fairly low number, as it usually is, so don't feel too distraught if you weren't invited. These things have a way of expanding over time, after all.
Intel to be part of Nokia's MWC press conference -- a new Booklet, or something more?
Well, this is interesting -- Intel just sent us an invitation to Nokia's press event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. We're told that the two companies will update us on the "latest developments" from their relatively new relationship, before Nokia launches into its solo presser directly afterwards. That could mean pretty much anything from a ho-hum Atom N450 refresh of the Booklet 3G to a fire-breathing Moorestown Maemo 5 phone, so we're obviously extremely curious to see what goes down -- our money is on the more conservative side of things, since we're thinking Intel just wants to have a presence at MWC, but we do love to be surprised.
